pregame

Definition of pregame

(Entry 1 of 2)

: existing or occurring before a gamea pregame partythe athlete's usual pregame meal/warm-upThe Bulls had finished their pregame shooting and were returning for the regular pregame meeting to go over the scouting report …— Sam Smith

: to begin drinking alcohol before an event or activity (such as a party or a night out)
Her friends, all in their 20s and pregaming for a Saturday night out in the bars, nodded enthusiastically.— Dan KoisOn the same principle, pregaming with a few shots before you arrive is a risky maneuver. You should be relatively sober when you present your host gift and size up the situation.— Pete Wells

Other Words from pregame

Verb

pregamingnoun

Pregaming … is the practice of consuming alcohol before going to a social event. — Georgina Lawton
… students reported higher rates of pregaming and alcohol-related blackouts than national averages. — Tess Sohngen

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pregame.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.